


Blood on a Silver Moon

by No_One_00



Category: Aespa (Band), EXO (Band), NCT (Band), Red Velvet (K-pop Band), SHINee, Super Junior, f(x), 소녀시대 | Girls' Generation | SNSD
Genre: Claymore AU, F/M, M/M, Mild Gore, Minor Character Death, more tags to come
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:47:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27126754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/No_One_00/pseuds/No_One_00
Summary: Lee Jeno is broken into a gruesome reality when he and his sister move out of Rabona. But in a night of cruelty, he finds beauty in the gravest circumstance.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	1. Death

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on Claymore. The main concept is, anyway. But my claymores aren't so arrogant as in the manga and the Organization is a lot more humane.

The house lay quiet. Tonight's dinner lay strewn on the floor. 

All Jeno could hear was squelching.

He couldn't remember what happened. They were just having dinner and suddenly he was thrown down. Part of the wall was destroyed.

Everywhere he turned, there was blood.

Dazed, Jeno struggled to get up, trying to gauge the situation. Once he was sat up, he scanned the room in utter horror.

There by the corner, lay Yeri, his sister. Beside her was a monster.

It was eating her.

Jeno screamed, and Yeri saw him. That's when he realized...his sister was being eaten while still alive.

He saw tears in her eyes, and so he grabbed whatever he could, his hands finding a broken peice of the table. Screaming, he lunged at the beast but the beast saw it coming.

It turned around and stretched out its arm, elongating, til it reached Jeno. The monster grabbed him by the neck and started choking him.

Jeno struggled, but in vain, he started to cry. Accepting fate, he closed his eyes.

The hand around his neck slackened. Jeno fell to the ground. Opening his eyes, he saw the monster's attention was no longer on him but outside.

Silent as the night, a boy entered, a large sword he held in his hand. His hair was silver, and his armor glinted in the moonlight. 

The next moment, the creature screamed. Jeno didn't see what happened. But the creature was somehow cut, mutilated. But not even a minute had passed.

The boy turned to Jeno. His eyes were silver as his hair. There was a youthfulness to his face, delicate. But those eyes looked empty.

In the light of the moon streaming in from the missing wall, the boy looked ethereal. Not so much a knight in shining armor but more a fairy in the night.

The boy then moved toward where the beast lay, but as Jeno watched, he realized his sister also lay there.

He conjured what strength he had left to get to her. The boy was already with her. He sat there holding her hand when Jeno whispered her name. Yeri looked at him, sadness filling her eyes.

"Noona, I'm sorry," Jeno knelt beside her. "I don't know what happened, but I failed to protect you."

"J-jen," Yeri struggled to whisper, "it’s not your fault." She lifted her hand to caress his cheek. "I'm sorry. Please, be strong now."

Jeno struggled to hold back his tears but they were now brimming. He screamed into the night as his sister breathed her last.

\--------------------------

The boy stayed quiet as Jeno calmed down. As he found himself in better control, he faced the boy.

"Who are you? And what just happened here?"

The boy looked up and into his eyes. Jeno can't help but be mesmerized by the silver orbs. But the boy also seemed to be struggling to find words. He was about to answer when two others appeared outside.

They looked like the boy before him, only seeming a bit older. One of them looked boyish, the other more serious. They sported the same silver hair and eyes, shining armor and the white cloaks. Their difference to the boy being the blood staining their clothes.

The boyish one looked surprised by the situation but seemed kind enough as he approached Jeno.

"Are you okay?" The man asked. He held out his hand to Jeno and checked him out for injuries.

Jeno was still confused but thought these people may have the answers he needed at the moment. "What happened here?"

The man seemed surprised at this. "Do you not know what attacked your home?"

"No."

"Are you not from around here?"

"We came from Rabona. My sister…" Jeno remembered and took a pause, "My sister and me moved to the countryside only this past week."

The serious-looking one then spoke to the boyish man, "That must be why he doesn't seem to know anything. They don't speak of this in the Holy City."

The boyish man seemed to be the leader of this group as the other two seemed to wait on him as he pondered.

"We are warriors of the Organization." The man spoke, before pulling out the large sword strapped to his back, "The people call us Claymores for these swords we carry. We hunt down yoma like the one that struck you and killed your sister."

Jeno winced at the nonchalance with which the man spoke of his sister but he knew better than to lash out and so he let the man continue.

"We were hunting a group of them at the nearby village but we did not know one of them escaped." The man then softened his stance and bowed toward Jeno. "We failed in our duty and it resulted in the death of your sister."

Jeno felt the tears coming up again but he steeled himself. "It is unfortunate and I am very sad, but I would've also died if not for you." He turned to the boy who saved him, who was still holding his sister's hand. "Thank you for saving my life, and for trying to save my sister."

The boy just gently bowed his head in acknowledgement.

The leader spoke again after a few moments. "Do you have anywhere you could stay at? Any relatives?"

"No."

The serious man and the leader then looked at each other, seemingly talking with their eyes. The leader then turned to him again. "We still have duties to attend to, but we can escort you to the next town. You can pick up your life there."

The serious man softened for the first time since they came. "This is the best we can do for you."

And Jeno understood them. But at the moment, he was lost. Just today, he was laughing with his sister. They were going to open up an apothecary, as they were good with plants and knowing how to make medicines with them.

Now he was alone.

"Thank you. But I think I'll bury my sister here first.” He then turned to where his sister’s body lay, now draped in the boy’s cloak. “I don't want to leave her just like that."

The boy spoke then for the first time. "Let me help you."

The boy spoke so softly, and Jeno couldn't be more thankful.

"We will help you, too."

\---------------------------------

As they walked to town, daylight had begun to fill the sky. Jeno realized he knew none of their names. "Uhm, I'm Jeno."

He heard a gigle from the leader. "Took us the whole night to introduce ourselves, huh? I am Baekhyun."

"My name's Kyungsoo." Jeno turned to see a smile gracing the once serious face.

The boy who seemed to be his age had not spoken again the whole night. Now as they were talking, the boy still kept to himself as he walked ahead of them. 

Jeno jogged to his side. "May I know your name?"

The boy seemed startled out of his thoughts. "Oh, uh...I'm...my name...I'm Renjun."

The leader - Baekhyun - full on laughed at this. "Renjunie can be very shy but don't let that fool you. He ranks 11th in the organization."

Jeno didn't know how to respond but one question he had was, "What is the organization?"

"It’s an organization created to train warriors to apprehend yoma. The people who founded it decades ago were too lazy to come up with another name," supplied Kyungsoo sarcastically.

"Well, what is with the ranking?"

The leader spoke this time, "There are 48 ranked warriors, each assigned a region to patrol and protect. Sometimes these warriors form teams to tackle bigger threats. The ranking is determined by skill and accomplishnment. I am currently ranked at number 4. Kyungsoo is at a respectable 7th. Renjunie is at 11 but with his skills, he'll easily soon surpass us. He's the youngest to ever come near the single-digit ranks."

Jeno nudged the boy with his elbow. "You must be impressively skilled then." He then turned back to Baekhyun, "but judging by what you said, your team must have fought a really strong yoma then, as you're all fairly high in rank."

"Sometimes, there are yoma that evolve to control other yoma. That's what we went up against. We were too busy trying to subdue them stealthily that we failed to notice one of them run away from the village. It was a good thing Renjun was there. He excels in yoki reading."

Confusion was evident in Jeno’s eyes then. Yoki?

Thankfully, Kyungsoo, ever-observant, noticed his pondering. “Yoki is like this energy emitted by yoma. We warriors are trained to be able to read them as yoma usually take the forms of normal people. This makes it hard for ordinary men to subdue them, and so they call on us.”

Jeno smiled as thanks for the enlightenment but before he could ask more, Renjun notified them of their arrival in town. Jeno looked around and noticed people had gathered to watch them, while others seemed to be wary of their presence.

A hand came onto his right shoulder and he turned to see Baekhyun. “I think this is as far as we can take you. Meet with the village chief and explain your plight to them. He may help you, hopefully.”

Kyungsoo seemed to become irritated by the people gathering by the gate and called on Baekhyun. “Baek, the people are staring. We must go.” Turning to Jeno, “Good luck here, Jeno, and may the goddesses guide you.”

And with that, the three left, Renjun not leaving with words but with just a simple look. And Jeno thanked them one more time, thinking he’d never meet them again.

But fate was strange, and not at all forgiving.


	2. Voracious Eater  Part one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has been one year since his sister died. Now the yoma are back.

Today marks the tenth gruesome killing in town.

Rumors of a yoma began flitting around after the fifth person died in his own home, but now, two full weeks later, the authorities have not been able to do a thing. Families have been locked up in their own homes, in a desperate attempt to starve the yoma, to no avail.

Jeno, now a welcome citizen in town a full year after his arrival, has become one of the mayor’s trusted men. He’s told the Mayor to maybe part with some of the town’s gold to hire claymores but the mayor refused, knowing their small town did not have much to give.

As he now looks around the house of the latest victim, he notices two sets of plates at the table. This woman, now dead, was known to be living alone. Why would she be having two meals at dinner were she alone?

A thought struck Jeno. The woman must have known who the yoma was. Or at least the person the yoma was pretending to be.

In his stay in this town, he’s learned a lot of the world outside of Rabona. He learned a lot about yoma in particular. They were demon-like creatures that can take the form of ordinary men, just like what those claymores he met long ago said. But he also learned not all yoma were the same. The one that killed his sister was an ordinary one. This brought shivers to Jeno as he heard about it. He remembers all the blood in his house that night, the massive whole it made in the wall. If an ordinary yoma could do that, what of the more evolved ones. The other kind he heard about, too. The powerful ones that could command the weaker yoma. Voracious eaters they were called.

Smarter, more cunning, voracious eaters seemed to have more discipline than ordinary yoma. He heard of their kind even able to take down claymores.

Jeno felt like the yoma they were up against was this kind. A voracious eater. It’s killed ten people in a month. Ten people they know of. But what of travelling parties passing by? If this yoma has been able to kill ten within the town, there’s no telling how many its hunted in the dark forests around it.

________________________________________________________

Deep in slumber, Jeno dreamed of taking a walk under the full moon. In a place he wasn’t familiar with, he felt most at ease, a calming energy around him.  
On a nearby hill, he sees someone. Like a shining elf basking in moonlight, a claymore stood upon it. Jeno approached him quietly, but as he neared the place, he stepped on a twig and it snapped. He looked up to see if the claymore heard. There was no one there. He looked around and suddenly, he fell to the ground, the wind knocked out of him. Renjun stood above him with his claymore raised above his head. There was blood running down the boy’s left cheek, streaming from a cut near his hairline. His usually blank eyes showed fear? Guilt? Sadness? He could hear screaming.

The sword came down.

Jeno awakens to real screams coming from outside.

People were frantically running around when he went to look. Seeing a familiar man, he called out, asking about what was happening.

“Another one. They’re saying it’s the mayor. Come!”

Jeno cursed under his breath. He couldn’t believe it. Another killing already? The yoma has accelerated his hunt. 

When they got to the mayor’s house, it was on fire. The people were able to drag the mayor’s body outside, but his innards were already eaten. Jeno clenched his fists.

The mayor took pity on Jeno upon hearing his story. He gave him a place to stay and helped him find work tending to people’s gardens. Now the mayor lay dead. Just like his sister a year ago. He swore to find this yoma and killing it himself.

____________________________________________________

The townspeople gathered in the square the following day.

“This has to stop!” the mayor’s son decried. “We must find this yoma and kill it, before it kills another one of us!”

People agreed in loud voices. They were screaming for blood. Yet no one is putting forward a real solution.

“We have to hire claymores.”

Everyone turned to Jeno where he was standing in the corner. “We’ve done whatever we could yet we’ve lost almost a dozen now and who knows how many more outside of town. We have to hire the ones who can actually detect yoma.”

The square hushed. Everybody knows the right thing to do. But to hire claymores they’d need money. The Organization allowed claymore to hunt yoma as they will but in cases such as these where the town has not been visited by passing claymores, the people would have to call on their services instead. The Organization, for their part, needed the money earned from these requests in order to operate, to train and arm their claymores. With the continent so large, and only 48 ranked claymores at any given time, the Organization needed all the help they could get.

But this was a problem for the poorer towns and villages. Their town sits in the middle of the forest, far from the trading roads and rivers that were frequented by merchants, the people here reaped what they sowed and used what they crafted. Traders were rare to come and claymores much needed elsewhere.

“I know we do not have much treasure with which to pay, but it’s either we spend money, or lives here.”

The mayor’s son, adamant about solving it by themselves rejected Jeno’s suggestions and instead gathered volunteers to patrol the town at night. It’s a terrible idea, thought Jeno. They have been doing that and to what end?

The crowd dispersed still afraid of what will happen. Nobody knew who will be next. And everyone knew there was no chance for most of them to survive an attack.

_________________________________________________

As Jeno walked home, the innkeeper called to him. Upon entering the inn, he saw many others already seated around the dining tables – some woodsmen, and farmers and their wives – many of those living right outside the town’s walls.  
“We heard your proposal at the square meeting. We believe it is also the best course of action for this town.”

Jeno sighed at the show of support, not out of frustration but of hopelessness. “The others will never agree. They’re not willing to part with their money and they live within the town. They feel it’s safer there.”

The innkeeper, who seems to be the leader in the gathering, put his hand on Jeno’s shoulder. “We know. But we want to protect our children…at any cost.” As this was said, the man took out a bag of what seemed like coins out and put it on the closest table. The others around them started doing the same. “There is an Organization building at the next town, by the valley road. We entrust you with all we have. Please ask them for help.”

A woman carrying a child stood up. “My husband has not returned from the forest for three days now. I want to hope for the best but I know enough about the world to accept the reality. Please help us. I will lend you our horse.”

__________________________________________________

Jeno left town that morning, hurrying to find help. Thankfully, he arrived safe at the said next town over, but it was already dusk. He went straight to the Organization building.

The building stood near the square, but opposite the church and the market. Jeno has heard of the Organization’s estranged relation with the church. As to why, he did not know, but it was the reason he hadn’t heard of anything regarding yoma and claymores when he lived in Rabona. Rabona was the seat of the Archbishop, the highest ranking priest in of the church. The church ruled the city as a city-state, separate from the rest of the continent.

Jeno entered and the room he went into was surprisingly empty. He headed to what seemed to be a bar, trying to see if anyone was in. As he sat on one stool, a man suddenly appeared by the open doorway which appeared to lead into another room. He was dressed all in black.

Startled but not wanting to seem scared, he looked straight into the man’s dark eyes. The man was was not disturbed.

“How may I be of service?”

The man spoke in a low tone, almost secretive.

“We need your help...claymores, I mean. Our town is under attack by yoma. There’s already been eleven dead…that we know of.”

“When did the killings begin?”

“It’s been a month now.”

“And you only thought to seek our help now?”

“Our town…doesn’t have much.”

Jeno takes off the pack strapped around him which contained the townsfolk’s coins. He places it on the bar and gauges the man’s reaction.

“Tell me of the situation.”

“The first to die was the town’s priest. The last one our mayor. All who died lived alone – all save our mayor. He lived with his wife and son. But other’s also seem to have gone missing in the woods around town.”

“This does not seem like the doing of ordinary yoma.”

“That is what I thought, too.”

The man seemed to be pondering on this. It took some time. When the man next spoke, Jeno’s heart sank.

“What you bring me is not enough for a claymore ranking high enough to deal with a…voracious eater, alone. It will also not be enough for a team of claymores with enough power to kill it.”

“Does this mean you will not help?”

The man looked straight into Jeno’s eyes. He seemed to find something amusing in Jeno that there formed somewhat of a grin at the corner of his mouth.

“I can send you a claymore that can deal with it, but I will need something more. As to what it is, I will not tell you now. Only after the yoma is dealt with, but you cannot refuse.”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is what said. You can take it or leave it.”

Jeno thought of the people who trusted him to bring back help. No matter what this man demands, the town that helped him after his sister’s death must be protected.

“I will take the help you offer.”

The man smiled. He knew Jeno would agree. No one who travels to seek the help of the Organization will dare refuse such an offer.

“Stay here tonight. There is room upstairs. Tomorrow you will accompany the claymore to your town.”

“But the yoma may take someone else tonight. We must hurry there.”

The man steeled as he looked at Jeno. “The yoma will have taken the life already.” The man turned to look outside and Jeno realized night had fallen. It already is too late. “Do not worry. Number 7 of the Organization will be more than enough to deal with the yoma tomorrow. He is currently our most promising asset.”

Number 7? If Jeno remembers correctly, it was that serious-looking but kind warrior that helped him the night one year ago. Kyungsoo, was it?

There was a sudden clinking of metal and Jeno turned towards the sound.

He would never forget that face.

“Number 7 of the Organization, the Moonlit Assassin, Renjun. He will go with you tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...yeah, this work was originally meant to be a Claymore fic...then I made it a K-pop thing too...hope you enjoy.


	3. Voracious Eater Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeno returns to town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter to sort of "complete" chapter 2...

Jeno could not sleep the previous night.

Meeting Renjun again was something he wished for but did not expect. He looked the same as before, thin yet strong, a lot different to Jeno himself, who’s grown more into the body of a young man, thickening in the right places – evidence of all the work he did to survive alone.

As dawn broke, he heard a knock on his door and there Renjun was, and with his soft voice, “Let us now go.”

Jeno thought to offer Renjun a ride on the horse when they left as the latter did not seem to bring one. But looking at that massive greatsword on the claymore’s back made him dubious about the horse’s capacity.

So now he walked a little ahead of Renjun, holding the horse’s reins, trying to think of what to say to the other to pass the time.

“Renjun, about the others that time, wasn’t there another warrior in your current rank?”

“Kyungsoo got promoted to Number 6 a month after that. The former number 6, Lightning Jongdae, fell to an awakened then.”

An awakened?

“What’s that?”

Renjun seemed taken aback as his footsteps faltered a bit.

“I meant…a voracious eater.”

Like the one in town? To be able to take down the number 6, it must’ve been really strong.

“Are voracious eaters that strong?” Jeno asked while finally turning to Renjun who he caught was already looking toward him. The claymore looked away.”

“Well, it depends. Like us warriors their power and abilities vary. Like people, too. Generally all of them are stronger than regular yoma, but among themselves, there are also more powerful ones.”

Jeno stopped in his tracks when a thought suddenly occurred to him. A voracious eater took down a number 6. Renjun, though said to be strong by that man from the Organization and Baekhyun, the number 4, from that time, is only ranked number 7.

“Will you be okay?” He asked the warrior directly. This boy saved him that night. And now he may be leading him to a challenge that may take his life.

But Renjun gave him a calm look. “I will be okay. I am strong enough.” This was said with what seemed to be a ghost of a smile. “But if I fall, at least you won’t have to pay the Organization.”

The thought scared Jeno. If Renjun fell, the guilt would just eat at him, like it already does, now.

“Cancel this request.” The mayor’s son stared Jeno down.

His arrival in town with a claymore in tow prompted the people to assemble in the square. Renjun chose to stay by the town’s gate, in view of the square but quite far enough to be out of earshot. There was confusion brought about by the claymore’s presence.

An elder spoke up, “We are not able to afford the Organization’s assistance now. Jeno, how were you able to do this?” Jeno was about to speak when there was suddenly a ruckus from the crowd.

“It was us who asked this of Jeno,” cried the woodsman’s wife. “It’s been more than a month since it started killing and even the mayor is now gone. Many more have disappeared in the forest. This is the only way to solve this.”

Jeno wondered where the innkeeper was. He was a constant sight in these meetings as one of the elders. “Where is the innkeeper?” he asked.

The crowd grew quiet at his question. The woodsman’s wife answered for the rest.

“Last night. The yoma took him…and both his wife and daughter.”

Jeno found himself clenching his fists. He was too late for some of them. If only they’d decided earlier, maybe even the chief could have been saved.

Suddenly, the crown began murmuring and from the back people parted. Renjun was walking now toward where Jeno was, but he was looking at where the elders stood.

“Everybody leave the square now.”

Jeno has seen this look only once form the claymore. The blank eyes with which he dispatched that yoma on that fateful night.

Renjun drew his sword and held it with both hands. Jeno blinked. The next moment Renjun was no longer where he once stood. Jeno looked around frantically.

And there was the claymore, on stage. And there was blood. 

Renjun’s blood. 

The claymore looked about to fall but Jeno rushed to his side, supporting him. Without turning to him, he heard him say the next in all seriousness.

“Run.”


	4. Awakened Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeno learns more about yoma as the Organization organizes a hunting team. 
> 
> But the yoma puts up a fight. One that might end in death, and a wave of blood.

Jeno stayed by the bedside as Renjun recuperated. The boy had not woken for about a day after collapsing at the square.

There were three large gashes that ran from the claymore’s left shoulder down to his lower right torso. They applied ointments and covered his wounds. His white uniform was stained and so Jeno and the woodsman’s wife changed it to some shirts they found at the inn. They were too big for the warrior, which stumped Jeno. How could someone so powerful be so small?

And also, how could someone so powerful be so easily defeated?

It worried Jeno how this claymore, claimed by that man to be powerful enough to deal with a voracious eater, was taken down so powerfully.

If this claymore was defeated this quickly what can the town do?

Nobody really saw what happened. The people where too scared to actually look around them. The scene was left like it was when it happened. All the remaining elders lay dead, two of them left without their torsos. The village head’s son was nowhere to be found.

A knock startled Jeno from his thoughts.

The door opened and in peeked the woodsman’s wife. “There are men here to see the claymore.” The woman opened the door to reveal the man from the Organization and another wearing the same black clothes. The woman left once they went inside.

“My name is Leeteuk. I don’t believe I introduced myself yet.” The man lost his arrogant aura from two days ago. He gestured to his companion, “This is Kyuhyun.”

The other man bowed and went straight for Renjun. He took out a vial and made the sleeping claymore drink it. This woke him up.

“What happened, Renjun?”

Renjun did not seem surprised to see the men here. “It is not what we expected. It’s a high-ranked awakened being.”

There it was again. An awakened being?

“It was pretending to be the former village chief’s son. It appears that was how it convinced the people not to call for our aid.”

What? The chief’s son? The chief’s son was always kind to Jeno before the killings occurred. He took Jeno with him on jobs in town, and even in nearby villages. “What do you mean it was pretending to be the chief’s son?”

Leeteuk spoke up. “Yoma, voracious eaters in particular, can take the shape of people and pretend to be them. The real son must have been the first to be killed.” He then turned to Renjun. “Can you take him?”

Jeno felt angry. At the yoma for the death of his friend, and at these men for their nonchalance about everything.

“Yes. But it will be difficult. I was wounded yesterday because I underestimated it. It hid its yoki until when it transformed.”

The man then turned to Kyuhyun, “Which warriors are nearby?”

“Irene is at the outpost. Sehun is on patrol nearby.”

“Call for them. Renjun, where is the yoma?”

Renjun closed his eyes. “In a cave by a stream. It’s trying to hide its yoki while healing its wounds.” Renjun relaxed but suddenly veins started popping out around them. “Sehun is approaching the place.”

The claymore stood up then and shed off the shirt he was changed to. “Did you bring me my armor?” he asked Leeteuk.

“It’s in the carriage outside with the men.”

“I’m going.”

Jeno stood mesmerised by Renjun’s form. Just yesterday, this man, no, boy was wounded in three deep areas on his torso. None remained now as he unwrapped the bandages applied on him. The claymore looked lithe but strong, smooth yet not soft.

“We have called out Irene. She will be there.”

The men and Renjun then all left the room leaving Jeno confused and dumbfounded. How could they know where the yoma was? How could another warrior who was hours away come to the place they just mentioned?

Jeno followed them outside.

Renjun was taking off his clothes as he came out. Once outside he was naked and yet did not seem bothered by the stares the other townspeople were giving him. The Organization’s men appeared used to it, what with the calm way they assist the claymore in wearing a brand new uniform and set of armor. The sword he had with him already was now cleaned up.

Once he was set, Renjun turned to Leeteuk and nodded, then he saw Jeno. There was a seriousness in his eyes and then he was off, again like he just disappeared. Leeteuk and Kyuhyun then rode their horses and seemed ready to depart when Jeno caught up to them.

“May I accompany you?”

“It is dangerous where we are going.”

“I know. But I have to see this. Please.”

Leeteuk merely nodded and sped off, Jeno hurriedly getting to the horse bund by the inn, calling out to the woodsman’s wife to borrow it again.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

Jeno followed Leeteuk and Kyuhyun as they climbed a cliff overlooking the stream. Here they had a clear view of the cave entrance where two warriors stood. Renjun, Jeno was familiar with. The other one, Sehun, he heard the others say, looked tall and slim. He sported the same silver hair, which by now Jeno knew was the same for all claymores.

The two seemed to be waiting.

“What are they waiting for?” Jeno asked the others.

Leeteuk seemed to be focused on the scene in front of them but Kyuhyun was kind enough to answer.

“They are waiting for the third warrior, Irene. She is close now.”

Jeno nodded and watched.

Suddenly, Leeteuk spoke, “She’s here.”

And sure enough, another claymore arrived. It was a woman. Until now, all warriors Jeno’s met were all males. He’s heard that there were increasingly more female warriors but that the Organization was also still training males for the task.

“Tell this boy what is happening, Kyuhyun. He will have to learn.”

Jeno was surprised by this. He wanted to know what was happening, yes, and he was curious about the Organization and the claymores, but to say he had to learn it came off as suspicious. But Kyuhyun did begin to explain.

“This is an awakened being hunt. Or voracious eater hunt. We thought that Renjun was enough for this, alone, but that was when we thought it was an ordinary awakened. This will now be done by this team. It will be Renjun’s second time in a team hunt, but the first he is to lead.”

“He will lead them? But he seems younger…”

“Leaders are chosen through their skills, thus their ranks. Renjun ranks the highest among the three. The others are “Bloodlust” Irene ranking 15th and “Silverwind Sehun at number 17. Sehun has the closest fighting style to Renjun. Or more like Renjun aspired to be Sehun’s second. But Renjun grew to be stronger than any of us anticipated.”

“You also called Renjun the “Moonlit Assassin”. What is with these names?”

“Claymore ranking number 20 and above earn a name. It is never official, but the Organization has come to acknowledge these names as an honor to the warriors who earn them. These names describe the warriors’ demeanor or fighting style.”

The warriors below still appeared to be waiting. Dusk was beginning to settle.

“Why aren’t they attacking yet?”

“Renjun and Sehun’s fighting styles cannot be used in the cave. Irene alone cannot deal with the awakened being so they wait. Renjun excels at night.”

Jeno thought back to the night Renjun saved his life. He dealt with the yoma in a heartbeat, too quickly for Jeno to even see him hold his greatsword.

“Renjun…how old is he?”

“He’s 20.”

We’re the same age, thought Jeno.

Suddenly, the warriors shifted a bit. Next he knew, Renjun was at his side, snaking an arm around his waist and then they were flying, or it seemed like it. Now they were near their horses. Irene had the same hold on Kyuhyun while Sehun held Leeteuk.

Now that he had a closer look at the two, Jeno saw they were both beautiful. Sehun looked like he was related to Renjun. Because of their hair and clear skin, they looked almost the same. Irene spoke up, “Hurry and ride your horses away from here.”

Renjun guided Jeno to his horse. Only then did Jeno notice his body seemed light. It must have been from the shock of how fast they got here but he did get on his horse with Renjun’s help.

Leeteuk saw the serious looks on the claymores.

“What is the matter?”

Renjun answered. He spoke with the decisiveness of a leader, without losing the gentleness in his voice.

“We believe this awakened is at most a former number 3, maybe even higher if it's not yet at full strength. A number 5 in the least. We do not think we can defeat it, but we will lead it away enough so you can call on stronger warriors.”

“Renjun, you cannot excel if you mean to lead this being away. Do not give away your advantage.”

“I do not think I can defeat it. Its yoki is overwhelming. I’m at my wits end just trying to keep my own yoki calm.”

A howl suddenly rang from the direction of the cave.

“It is coming. Hurry now, Leeteuk. We don’t know how long we can distract it.”

And just like that, the claymores left. Presumably, on their way back to the cave. Leeteuk leads them back to town fast.

Upon arrival, Leeteuk changed to another horse and with two more of his men, he left in a hurry. Kyuhyun stayed and spoke to the remaining townspeople, urging them to flee. Many obeyed.

Jeno went directly to his house to gather his things. As he got outside, he saw even the people from the nearby homes in the forest have also been told to flee as they rushed past him. He went to the woodsman’s home to find his wife packing her things and preparing her child. Jeno gave them back their horse for them to ride on. The woman gently held him and thanked him but he saw in her eyes the hopelessness they all felt.

How could everything come to this? Only a year ago, he lost his sister. Now, the town that saved him was struck by a calamity in the form of another yoma. One so powerful that even the Organization was brought to a panic.

Jeno chose to help the other townspeople leave town. He was one of the last to remain when he saw some Organization men heading somewhere in a hurry.

He decided to follow them and found others huddled near the gate. Many now held weapons in their arms like bows and spears but Jeno wondered if these men could even fight such a strong yoma. Nearing the crowding men, he saw two claymores on the ground.

Renjun sat holding a bloodied Irene. The latter did looked like she lost a lot of blood. But that was not all.

Both her legs were missing. And Renjun only had one arm.

The men were speaking in hurried tones filled with fear, some with worry. “Renjun, hurry, regenerate your arm. You must conserve your yoki.”

Regenerate? As in regrow? Jeno could not help but be curious, but this was no time for that. The yoma has done all of this? And where was Sehun?

“Sehun led the yoma farther. But it already dealt us this much damage. Has Leeteuk gone?”

Kyuhyun arrived at the gate carrying some bandages. He took Irene from Renjun and with the men’s help, put her on a stretcher and they took her to one of their carts which sped away in a hurry. “Renjun, can you still fight?”

Jeno grew angry at this. How could they ask Renjun to fight in his state?

“Yes. But I will need at least two vials to regenerate my left arm fast.”

Kyuhyun handed the warrior what he asked for and to Jeno’s astonishment, muscles did start to grow from where Renjun’s arm was cut. Muscles began to grow around new bone and in a minute, skin also crept down the length. Some more time and there was Renjun with a restored arm.

“What just happened?”

Renjun turned to his direction, surprised. “Jeno…why have you not evacuated?” The warrior looked at Kyuhyun as if he could not believe it.

“He helped us evacuate the citizens. Don’t worry, we’re also going now.” Turning to the men, Kyuhyun started giving orders. “Help Renjun to his armor. Clean his sword. Everyone not needed has to be on the carts and moving out. Let stragglers go with you. I need one rescue team to remain with me at the gate on the other side of town.”

All the men started moving at once.

“Can I stay with you?”

Kyuhyun gave Jeno a confused look. “How can you want to stay even after everything you’ve witnessed?”

“I just feel like I have to see this through.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

Renjun decided to make his stand at the town square. The square was close to the western gate which was where the yoma was most likely to come through. Jeno, Kyuhyun and the rescue team stood by at the eastern gate. The presence of the ten men assured them that the yoma will pass through town instead of heading for the fleeing citizens. The Organization’s men made sure to instruct the people not to travel in large groups in order not to attract yoma.

Jeno and Kyuhyun stood where they could see Renjun at the square. The warrior seemed to have his eyes closed, probably searching for the yoma. His hands were on the hilt of his claymore which he had struck on the ground.

Everyone waited.

The square exploded.

Jeno could not see what was happening but he could hear the sound of swords clashing. He could see sparks glittering through the stirred up dust and rubble. As it cleared, he saw that what sounded like swords clashing was actually Renjun’s claymore hitting these sharp tendrils coming out of the yoma’s back.

The yoma was big. A lot bigger than Renjun.

Renjun was fighting hard. He flitted across the destroyed square, like a bullet in the air, but the tendrils always caught up to him. When Renjun attacked, the tendrils were always ready to strike him down.

The yoma’s actions matched Renjun’s speed. If the yoma was this fast, then Sehun must have fallen to it. The thought crossed Renjun’s mind. But the momentary lull in Renjun’s movement proved enough of an opening for an attack by the yoma. A tendril burst through and pierced Renjun through his right leg. Renjun cut the tendril off but it remained pierced though.

Renjun fell to the ground. Without his leg, he lost his only advantage on the yoma. He was now a sitting duck.

Fighting while nursing a newly regenerated arm that still throbbed took its toll on the warrior. He couldn’t help but think of Sehun, his mentor, who was probably already dead. It was supposed to be in his advantage to be fighting at night. But considering the damage to his body, and the anger he kept trying to quell, the fight was lost.

The tendrils struck.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kyuhyun could not believe his eyes. In his shock at the way Renjun was brought down by the yoma, he did not notice Jeno had run toward the square.

In his rush, Jeno let his body move on its own. In moments he was in front of Renjun. He was just on time.

Blood began gushing down. His body was pierced in five places. One on each arm, one on his left leg, one through his gut. But these were easily nothing in comparison to the one that struck his chest.

Renjun was in shock. This ordinary boy just took the hits for him. But it’s not like he was unscathed. The tendril that struck Jeno on the chest pierced through to Renjun’s right shoulder. He could no longer bear his sword up. Jeno was dying for saving him and he could not even hold his sword up.

The tendrils pulled back and Jeno’s body fell in a heap on Renjun’s lap. His injured leg cried out in pain but Renjun cried out for a whole different reason. He became a warrior to protect people. He became a warrior so this does not happen.

But now Jeno’s blood flowed onto his legs.

He looked up in anger at the yoma. But the yoma just smirked.

Renjun’s anger turned to alarm when he saw the tendrils again poised to strike. He tried to move Jeno’s body behind his, turning his own around. He heard the next strike coming.

Was this the end?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this! And the kudos!
> 
> I'll do my best, so see you in the next chapters as well, okay?
> 
> 'til next time!


	5. Price to be Paid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Organization has suffered major losses and now Jeno is to pay the agreed price.

The strikes do not come.

Renjun had closed his eyes as he waited for the end but it didn’t come. Turning around, he saw two warriors’ backs. Both had the same length of hair, flowing with the breeze. They were women. Beautiful, unshaken, and exuding yoki far above that of the yoma before them.

They stood there blocking the yoma’s thrust like it was nothing. Then somebody touched his still throbbing arm.

“Do you know this boy?”

Renjun nodded. Another warrior knelt in front of him. She pried his hands away from Jeno’s body and laid him on the ground. She let the boy drink from a bottle and it seemed to help.

“Don’t worry. The attack missed his most vital organs. He will be okay now.”

The warrior sounded very kind and Renjun wanted to see her face. Blood running down his head prevented this but the yoki these three were emitting seemed even greater than Baekhyun’s – the highest-ranking warrior he’s ever come across.

There were three of them, each more powerful than the Organization’s number 4.

He’s heard of them. The three sisters.

Renjun then collapsed.

Renjun awoke at the Organization outpost. He knew it was the outpost as he was familiar with the recuperating room.

“Finally awake?”

Renjun turned to see Leeteuk at the corner table, with a drink in his hands.

“I was saved by the three sisters.”

“Yes. We were luck they were near enough at the time. Taeyong was here when I arrived. He made contact with them and reported on the situation.” He took a sip of his drink. “We were lucky.”

They were lucky indeed. “Why were they in the vicinity?”

At this, Leeteuk stood up and walked towards Renjun’s bedside, helping him up to sit.

“They were actually on the hunt for that specific awakened being. “Decapitator” Hangeng. A former number 2,” Leeteuk shivered a bit. “That was the closest call we had to fighting an Abyssal One.”

It was that strong? “Was he easily dealt with?”

“The moment you fell was the same moment Yoona dealt it the final blow. A clean cut to the neck. Yuri easily got a hold of all its tendrils.”

“The number 1 and number 2. They must be so strong.”

“Yes. Leaps and bounds ahead of you. I cannot believe you actually fought the being for as long as you did.”

“I – ”

“I thought you were smart enough to know when to retreat.” Leeteuk turned to look out the window, his back to Renjun. “You know what we plan to do with the boy, correct?”

Renjun knew Jeno had to be alive. If Yoona and Yuri were there, then surely it was Seohyun, the number 3, who helped them both as the former two fought the awakened being. She was known to have brewed healing medicine that could cure even ordinary people.

“I know.”

“We have dealt with his town’s problem so we now can collect his pay.”

Jeno stood with a limp at the town’s gates. He had a crutch to his left and bandages covered most of his body. He put his right hand over his chest. The wound has closed up but he could still feel a ghost of the pain as he was pierced through.

He came here to see what happened to the place he had been calling home for the past year. His house was intact, as was most of the buildings outside the walls. Within it was a different matter altogether.

The area from the western gate toward the town square were now all rubble. It was good that all the town’s people were evacuated before the yoma’s last onslaught.

Further in, Jeno arrived at the town square. It was evident that most of the fighting took place here. Purplish yoma blood painted the area. Jeno walked towards the corner to the other gate.

More blood. But this time in red. His chest throbbed at the memories that flood him of the moment the yoma thrust into his body.

“How can men stand against such violence?” Jeno turned to see the woodsman’s wife. The lady walked toward him and hugged him tight. “I heard what happened from the men who remained here, those from the Organization. I am very glad you’re alive,” the woman cried.

Jeno had only known these people in the year he lived in this town but they took him in like family.  
“I’m glad you’re okay too.” Jeno returned the woman’s embrace.

As they parted, Jeno asked her of her plans and she informed him of moving somewhere to the north, where less yoma were reported to appear. She invited her to come with them and Jeno saw she truly wanted him to come, but it was then that men from the Organization notified him of Leeteuk’s summons for him.

Ah yes, Jeno thought, the price for all of this.

Leeteuk, Kyuhyun and two other men in black were at the outpost’s lobby when Jeno arrived. Kyuhyun greeted him with an amicable smile but the others were clearly only here on business. Jeno was asked to take a seat, the only one being the one at the center, facing the four.

Kyuhyun was first to talk.

“Jeno, you know Leetauk, my superior here,” Jeno nodded. “These two are Ryeowook,” Kyuhyun points first at the smaller one, then at the taller, “and Siwon.”

Jeno acknowledged the two and Leeteuk took it as cue.

“What happened in your town was not as we anticipated,” Leeteuk began. “First, the yoma was far stronger than we thought. Second, we lost two strong warriors in number 15 and number 17.”

Irene and Sehun, Jeno thought.

Leeteuk continued. “Third, and perhaps most importantly, we saw the current number 7’s worst weakness in this battle.”

Jeno was surprised the second and third things he was being told. “Are these somehow related to the payment I was supposed to give you?”

This time, Ryeowook, who seemed to have been pissed at the pace the talks were proceeding at, spoke out, “Yes. You are to be admitted to warrior training immediately.”

What?

Seeing the confusion in the boy’s face at the sudden revelation, Leeteuk interjected. “You survived wounds many of our lower-ranking warriors would have died of. This is not ordinary.”

“Also, the medicine administered to you by the number 3 warrior would have made normal people sleep for a week in the least. Your body shows high compatibility,” added Siwon.

Jeno, still confused, found his voice, “Compatibility with what?”

“Warrior conversion.”

All of this seemed too much for Jeno to wrap his head around. Warrior conversion? Training to become a warrior was understandable enough, no matter how far-fetched it seemed but conversion? What did that even mean?

“I’m afraid I don’t understand this, sirs.” Jeno directed his question at Leeteuk.

“To tell you the truth, I only planned on having you train to become a handler, like Kyuhyun. Men who monitor the warriors and send them on specific missions. That would have sufficed for me. But now, after all that happened – the loss of two warriors and finding out your body’s compatibility – the organization has deemed you a possible candidate for warrior training.”

Jeno took this in. All of these just seemed too much. But to tell the truth, was there actually even another path for him? To go north with the others? To stay in town when the mayor is dead?

Leeteuk decided things for him. “You swore to acquiesce to whatever payment was deemed worth the help offered your town. This is the deal, and you must accept it.”

Jeno looked down to see both his hands shaking.

“I don’t really understand all of it. I don’t even really know what this Organization is about. I know we made a deal. I have no plans on breaking that, but I just can’t see this happening.”

Kyuhyun, seeming to be the most gentle of the four facing him, called to someone in the adjacent room. A warrior, lithe but looking strong, with wide silver eyes that seemed almost gentle, entered.

“Take out your sword,” Kyuhyun ordered. The warrior obeyed and set the sword in front of Jeno.

Everyone just watched him as he stared at the sword lying on the floor in front of him. Nobody told him anything or beckoned him to do it but Jeno had been curious since he first saw one like it that night his sister died.

His hands moved on their own, both wrapping around the grip.

He picked it up but the weight pulled at him.

He added a lot of strength and picked it up again.

Nothing.

“Yoma live in this world whether we like it or not,” started Kyuhyun. “Would you rather remain like this, powerless and always running, mere prey to yoma?”

Jeno hardened his grip on the sword.

“Or will you help us?”

This time, when Jeno lifted the sword, he was able to for at least some distance.

“Will you help us rid this world of them?”

Jeno’s grip though strong wasn’t enough. He almost fell toward the sword, its sharp edge glinting, when a hand held him up and took the sword.

Renjun stared right through to Jeno’s soul as he spoke in his gentle voice.

“Join us, Jeno. Avenge your sister and your town. Help me kill all yoma in this world.”

For the first time, Jeno saw anger in the warrior’s eyes. He steeled himself from it.

“Yeah.” Jeno nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've thought of putting up the Organizations warrior ranking on the next chapter.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	6. On the Road Part I

“It takes 22 days to the Organization. You will journey most of the way by carriage. There will be other trainee candidates with you,” says Leeteuk, patting Jeno on the shoulder as a farewell. “Kyuhyun will go with you, and some warriors will be escorting the caravan.

Jeno turns to the line of carriages supposed to take them to Staff, the town where the Organization Headquarters is located. There are three open carts and one enclosed carriage. Jeno is supposed to ride with the other trainees. He sees them already huddled on the cart placed right behind the close carriage. The other men in black must be riding on that one. The last two carts carry supplies and other Organization men.

Jeno takes scans the area, looking for Renjun but he was nowhere to be found. Was he one of the claymores to escort the caravan?

Like an answer to the question in his head, he hears the now familiar clinking of warriors’ armor and he turns to their direction. Renjun unfortunately isn’t there.

There are three warriors in total, one being the one in the outpost where Jeno was told of his fate. The other two are new faces. Yet as he’s become accustomed to, all of them bear the same silver eyes and silvery-blonde hair as every other warrior Jeno’s come across.

Renjun, of course, was an exception. His hair that of almost pure silver, glinting in the moonlight – in the same dream Jeno’s been having for some time.

But he hasn’t seen him since that night Jeno accepted to pay with his life. Part of his acceptance was the trance brought about by that hint of anger Renjun let his face be marred by. It was an emotion Jeno once thought impossible to see in Renjun.

There was a story there and Jeno wanted to know.

There were five other trainees beside Jeno.

It’s been six days since they started on their journey, and he’s gotten to know some of them. 

Jisung and Chenle were both orphans from a town to the south. Their orphanage was run by the church. When rumors of yoma attacks in nearby villages filtered through town, the church opposed all attempts by the townspeople to ask for aid from the Organization. One night, a band of yoma attacked the orphanage which happened to be located just outside the town walls. Only the two of them survived. Everyone else, children and nuns, turned up dead the next morning, their innards already eaten, and the priest fled after being blamed by the town. A pair of warriors hunted the yoma down after.

Karina was the quiet one out of the group and it seemed like she had emotional baggage with her. 

Sungchan was from the town where the outpost was located. His parents are well and ran an inn yet he’s always wanted to become a warrior to protect people and thus he was here. Giselle came from the west and dreamt of becoming a warrior after having seen the three sisters in action.

Jeno doesn’t remember the three sisters but he’s heard of how they were the ones who saved him, Renjun and his town. The strongest warriors they were called, and judging by the swiftness with which they dealt with a yoma that killed two high-ranking warrior and almost took another, he believed the stories.

But Jeno thought of becoming a warrior himself only after they truly started their journey east. It has not fully sunk in but he’s thought more of it now. What did it take to be a warrior? Will his eyes and hair change just because of mere training?

He’s asked Kyuhyun about it during one of their stops to rest. Kyuhyun just waved him off saying he’ll find out soon enough, and then he was off to speak with the escorting warriors.

Jeno’s noticed the warriors didn’t ride on horses of their own, much like Renjun, Sehun and Irene in their hunt of that one yoma. When on the move, the warriors seem to keep their distance from the caravan, one in front and the others each to a side. Jeno’s heard of talk of yoki and detecting it during the battle, but he couldn’t really wrap his head around it.

There were just too many questions he never really cared to know the answers to before. But now that he was on his way to becoming one of them warriors, Jeno’s had to think about them a lot more.

Sixteen more days and he may just get the answers.


End file.
